Skin Cancer

The Facts About Skin Cancer…

Skin cancer is on the increase in the UK. Cases of malignant melanoma have risen by 2,000 per cent in the last 60 years.
It has the fastest growing number of incidents of all cancers in the UK, with Surrey having one of the highest rates.
People born in 1935 could have expected a one in fifteen hundred chance of developing the disease in their lifetime.For people born in 2000 that chance is now 1 in 74 and,if we don’t change our habits, it may even be as high as 1 in 7.These figures are from Professor Martin Weinstock, a world expert in skin cancers.

There are more skin cancers now than every other type of cancer combined.

There are three main forms of skin cancer:

1. Basal cell cancer (Rodent ulcer)
2. Squamous cell cancer
3. Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, killing around 2300 people every year. It can be quite aggressive, spreading quickly. Detecting even the smallest changes in a mole and Early intervention can save lives.

The main cause of skin cancer is too much sun. If you have burned in the past either from the sun or sun beds, have fair skin that’s burns easily, spent time in sunny climates, work outside, have close relatives who have had skin cancer or have a lot of moles you have a higher risk of getting a malignant melanoma.